Google announced on the Official Google Blog this morning that they have signed a deal to acquire On2Technologies:
Because we spend a lot of time working to make the overall web experience better for users, we think that video compression technology should be a part of the web platform.
To that end, we’re happy to announce today that we’ve signed a deal to acquire On2 Technologies, a leading creator of high-quality video compression technology.
A Google Press Release, Google to Acquire On2 Technologies provides more details of the deal.
On2 Technologies specialization is video compression and encoding software, and they count some very large organizations amongst their list of clients, including Nokia, Skype, Sony, and Sun.
Additionally, On2 acquired Hantro Products Oy on May 21, 2007. Hantro is a hardware manufacturer of video technology for mobile devices.
While the On2 Technologies part of the acquisition by Google may be a significant aspect of the purchase, the technology that Hantro will bring shouldn’t be overlooked. According to an On2 press release at the time of the Hantro acquisition:
Hantro provides optimized video compression implementations for mobile, digital consumer-electronics and IPTV devices. The company’s customers include Nokia, Freescale, LSI, Vimicro, Sanyo, and over 20 other leading global devices and semiconductor manufacturers.
Hantro’s technology has been implemented on more than 200 million devices to date and in mobile phones produced by 5 of the top 6 handset manufacturers. Hantro is recognized as the market leader in wireless video intellectual property as measured in revenue, the number of shipped devices, and number of customers.
At the time of the Hantro purchase, Eric Ameres, On2’s chief technology officer, was quoted:
This technology allows us to go to the consumer electronics companies, embedded devices, and the handset guys. Embedded technology stretches the battery life, and chipset costs will come down.
The goal is for users on cell phones to experience the same videos that they can on the Web. With this type of technology, we’re embedding the ability to get all the same content… and it would look as good as on your PC.
It will be interesting to see how Google moves forward with the technology and business that they are acquiring.
I’ve looked through the US Patent Office databases and found many granted patents and patent applications assigned to On2 Technologies and Hantro Products Oy.
On2 Technologies Granted Patents and Published Patent Applications
Video compression system Invented by Eric L. Ameres, James B. Bankoski, Yaowu Xu, Scott J. La Varnway, Adrian W. Grange, and Paul G. Wilkins Assigned to On2 Technologies US Patent 7,027,654 Granted April 11, 2006 Filed: August 15, 2002
Abstract
An improved video compression system in which the coefficient transform is sped up via folding transposition of coefficients into the token extraction phase.
This is accomplished by filling a group of blocks coefficient buffers with 0’s before the start of coefficient decoding, extracting the token from the bitstream and placing any extracted coefficient value which is non zero into the transposed order that best suits the target processor.
Method of improved image/video compression via data re-ordering Invented by Eric L. Ameres, James B. Bankoski, Yaowu Xu, Scott J. La Varnway, Adrian W. Grange, and Paul G. Wilkins Assigned to On2 Technologies US Patent 7,409,099 Granted August 5, 2008 Filed: July 19, 2007
Abstract
A method of image and video compression including data re-ordering to improve the performance of the core compression algorithm. In the inventive method, pixel values of at least part of an image are examined and then re-ordered into a new order that has greater compactability than the original pixel order.
The re-ordered pixel values are then compressed, e.g., by block transform. In the particular case of a compression scheme employing a block transform, the inventive method reduces the complexity of the transform coefficients, resulting in more efficient compression.
The method may be added to existing compression algorithms with only minor modifications to the bitstream and decoder architecture.
Video compression and encoding method Invented by Eric L. Ameres, James B. Bankoski, Yaowu Xu, Tim Murphy, Adrian W. Grange, and Paul G. Wilkins Assigned to On2 Technologies US Patent 7,499,492 Granted March 3, 2009 Filed: October 31, 2007
Abstract
A method of compressing video data having at least one frame having at least one block and each block having an array of pixels is provided.
The method transforms the pixels of each block into coefficients and creates an optimal transmission order of the coefficients. The method also optimizes the speed of processing compressed video data by partitioning the data bitstream and coding each partition independently.
The method also predicts fractional pixel motion by selecting an interpolation method for each given plurality or block of pixels depending upon at least one metric related to each given block and varies the method from block to block.
The method also enhances error recovery for a current frame using a frame before the frame immediately before the current frame as the only reference frame for lessening quality loss during data transmission. Enhanced motion vector coding is also provided.
Method for analyzing the content of a video signal Invented by Paul Gordon Wilkins US Patent 6,560,366 Granted May 6, 2003 Filed: April 20, 1998
Abstract
A method for analysing differences in the content of successive frames of a digital video sequence to create a profile that predicts the likely perceptual significance of and allows separation and classification of different type of signal component.
Method and apparatus for compression and decompression of video images Invented by Daniel Miller, Timothy S. Murphy, Blake Sloan, David Silver, and Eric Ameres Assigned to On2.com, Inc. US Patent 6,108,383 Granted August 22, 2000 Filed: July 15, 1998
Abstract
This invention uses a novel synthesis of several different compression methods, some original and some known in the art, to achieve compression of digitized video image sequences.
Images are color-reduced by a factor of two in both directions using a colorspace that requires minimal computation for reconstruction of RGB pixel values. Images are then transformed into a
token sequencecorresponding to a series of 4.times.4 blocks, using one of seven transformation methods, some dependent on previous frames and some dependent only on pixel values in neighboring blocks.The resulting token sequence is then compressed using known lossless methods, including Huffman coding.
Apparatus and method for non-sequential image data transmission and display Invented by Daniel Miller, David Silver, Neil Radisch, Michael Stenzler, Gerry Rossi US Patent 6,292,837 Granted September 18, 2001 Filed: October 30, 1998
Abstract
An apparatus and method for image display and transmission, including display and transmission of data over the Internet. Image transmission is effected by non-sequential streaming of sequential images or multiple views of a scene or object.
The present invention sends image frames from server to browser out of order. Wherever the cursor is positioned, the browser displays the nearest frame which is received from the server. The viewer, therefore, can see more sides of the image without waiting for the entire image to be transmitted.
Video compression method Invented by Eric Ameres, James Bankoski, Scott Lavarnway,Yaowu Xu, Dan Miller, Adrian Grange, and Paul Wilkins US Patent Application 20040228410 Published November 18, 2004 Filed: November 14, 2003
Abstract
A method of compressing video data having at least one frame having at least one block and each block having an array of pixels is provided. The method transforms the pixels of each block into coefficients and creates an optimal transmission order of the coefficients. The method also optimizes the speed of processing compressed video data by partitioning the data bitstream and coding each partition independently.
The method also predicts fractional pixel motion by selecting an interpolation method for each given plurality or block of pixels depending upon at least one metric related to each given block and varies the method from block to block.
The method also enhances error recovery for a current frame using a frame before the frame immediately before the current frame as the only reference frame for lessening quality loss during data transmission. Enhanced motion vector coding is also provided.
Universal video client/universal video server system Invented by Eric Ameres US Patent Application 20020067907 Published June 6, 2002 Filed: June 7, 2001
Abstract
The present invention is a system for serving and playing back a video stream spliced from a plurality of disparate video segments. The system has a video splicing server on the server-side and a client application for playback on the client’s side.
The client application is a plug-in that enables the user’s browser program, preferably Netscape and Internet Explorer, to play any known streaming media format.
To view the streaming presentation, the viewer will connect to a presentation server using the provided client software.
The splicing server, which is used to create a seamless presentation, dynamically splices together disparate segments of the video presentation and feeds the client’s side a sequence of pointers to these video segments, which are played by the provided client software in the order presented, resulting in a coherent show.
Published Patent Applications from Hantro Products Oy
Apparatuses, computer program product and method for bit rate control of digital image encoder Invented by Markus Suvanto US Patent Application 20060062481 Published March 23, 2006 Filed: September 21, 2004
Abstract
Apparatuses, a computer program product and a method for controlling a bit rate of a digital image encoder.
The bit rate controller includes a target cumulative distribution function computing mechanism predicting the number of encoded bits resulting from an encoding to be performed in the encoder;
a counter mechanism counting the number of encoded bits resulting from the encoding;
a check mechanism forming an error term from a comparison between a value of the counter and
a corresponding value of the target cumulative distribution function; and a bit rate control mechanism adjusting a quantization parameter of the encoding to be continued based on the error term.
Apparatuses, computer program product and method for digital image quality improvement Invented by Jarno Tulkki US Patent Application 20060285598 Published December 21, 2006 Filed: June 17, 2005
Abstract
Apparatuses, a computer program product, and a method for digital image quality improvement.
A digital image quality improvement unit includes an input interface to obtain edge pixels of a pixel domain target block and edge pixels of pixel domain blocks adjacent to the pixel domain target block;
a processing unit coupled with the input interface to form a frequency domain substitute block from the edge pixels of the pixel domain target block and the edge pixels of the pixel domain blocks adjacent to the pixel domain target block and to form a pixel domain substitute block from the frequency domain substitute block; and
an output interface coupled with the processing unit to place the pixel domain substitute block in a position of the pixel domain target block.
Apparatuses, computer program product, and method for digital image processing Invented by Jarno Tulkki US Patent Application 20070009034 Published January 11, 2007 Filed: July 5, 2005
Abstract
Apparatuses, computer program product, and method for digital image processing.
A digital image processing apparatus includes an input interface to obtain a first digital image and a second digital image and a processing unit coupled with the input interface.
The processing unit defines at least one block in the first digital image,
defines for each block a search area in the second digital image, the search area being larger than the block, maps the block and its search area to equal size,
calculates pixel-wise errors between each block and its search area that are mapped to equal size,
collects the errors into a motion register, and
defines a motion between the first digital image and the second digital image by utilizing the motion register.
Digital mosaic image construction Invented by Jarno Tulkki US Patent Application 20080152258 Published June 26, 2008 Filed: December 20, 2006
Abstract
Digital mosaic image construction with an apparatus, method, computer program, and the integrated circuit is disclosed.
In the method, a first digital image and a second digital image are obtained, and a global motion vector is defined between the first digital image and the second digital image.
Next, a mosaic image is combined from the first digital image and the second digital image utilizing the relative locations of the first and second digital images with each other as expressed by the global motion vector.